VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP: COASTAL EXPLORATION
INTRODUCTION*
This virtual fieldtrip is actually two fieldtrips, and it takes you first to the west coast and then to the east coast to compare coastal features and processes, including wave action, beach sand source and movement, coastal bluff and dunes, and human interferences. The first fieldtrip is to the shoreline of San Diego North County in Southern California, and your trip guide is Chris Metzler, earth science professor at MiraCosta College (Fieldtrip 1). The second fieldtrip is to northeast shore of Florida, near the town of Marineland, and your trip guide is Joann Mossa, geography professor at the University of Florida (Fieldtrip 2).
Read this entire worksheet carefully and completely to ensure full credit for this assignment. Instructions for submitting the Virtual Field Trip questions and Essay can be found at the end of this document.
*This field trip was adapted from https://seascisurf.com/geo_virtual_fieldtrip_west-east_coast_shores.pdf
FIRST, WHERE ARE WE?
Go to maps.google.com, and search for "San Diego, CA" and "Marineland, FL".
1. On the blank map here, mark a star near San Diego, California AND in the Marineland, Florida:
2. What ocean borders the California Coast?
3. What ocean borders the northeast Florida Coast?
4. Go to this site (https://goo.gl/maps/NWcnELEQC9E2) and zoom and pan around the map. Also look at the photos, linked to the right side of the satellite imagery. What does the coastline near Marineland, FL look like?
5. Go to this site (https://goo.gl/maps/2a2vUUanZkR2) and zoom and pan around the map. Also look at the photos, linked to the right side of the satellite imagery. What does the coastline near San Diego, CA look like?
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TWO AREAS
Please review the two links below to learn about the physical characteristics of the California and northeastern Florida Coasts. You will have to look around the pages, and click some of the links within, to find all of the characteristics.
• San Diego, California coastal conditions: https://www.wunderground.com/marine- weather/PZ/750.html?map=wave
• Marineland, Florida coastal conditions: https://www.wunderground.com/MAR/AM/454.html
Fill in the table below with the data from these sites:
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San Diego, California
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Marineland, Florida
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Sea surface temperature
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Average wave size (make an estimate, include units on your answer)
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Time of high and low tide (include the date of your observation)
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Wind direction and speed
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FIELDTRIP 1: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA BEACHES
The first part of this virtual fieldtrip will take you to the San Diego North County beaches can be found at Chris Metzler's Coastal Erosion Field Trip Webpage:
https://www.miracosta.cc.ca.us/home/cmetzler/field_trip/top.html
Click on the link above. Read and review each page of the website by clicking the links in the left box of the page. Answer the questions below, as you review the pages.
6. What type of shoreline does San Diego North County have? Describe it.
7. List the following information for ALL THREE of the major rock formations observed along the bluffs.
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Rock formation name:
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Principle type(s) of rock that makes up each formation
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The geologic age of each rock formation
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Relative erodability (Strong, medium, or weak)
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8. Which of these rock units is considered the most durable, resistant unit - forming the steepest part of a bluff?
9. Which of these rock units is considered the least durable, resistant unit - prone to greatest bluff failure?
10. List thee natural agents, processes or features that help cause bluff erosion?
11. List the two human activities that help cause bluff erosion?
12. How does climate fluctuations over the last few centuries compare with today's climate in terms of local bluff erosion?
13. List the three human activities that help reduce or slow bluff erosion?
14. Which one appears to be the most affective in reducing bluff erosion? Why?
15. List the two adverse (negative) effects that seawalls have on the beach.
16. Describe and explain the seawalls along the North County shoreline, in terms of:
a) Where the seawalls are constructed along a beach
b) The various materials that make up a seawall.
c) How much they cost.
d) Their intended purpose.
e) Some negative, unintended effects.
17. Where are piles of rip rap placed along a beach, what are they made of, how much do they cost, and what is their intended purpose?
18. List advantages that rip-rap has over seawalls in protecting bluffs.
19. List disadvantages that rip-rap has over seawalls in protecting bluffs.
20. Which one would you choose if you were a bluff homeowner? Why?
FIELDTRIP #2: MARINELAND, FL
The second virtual fieldtrip to a Northeast Florida beaches can be found at Joann Mossa's Coastal Dynamics of Northwestern Florida webpage:
https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/teacher/science/mod2/resources/coastal.pdf
21. What are the two principle materials that Florida beaches made of? List and describe the following:
a) Principle mineral(s)
b) Sediment grain size(s)
c) Source of the sediment?
22. Describe the beaches in Northeastern Florida. Make sure to include dimensional characteristics like width and slope.
23. What are the Florida shoreline dunes made of? List and describe the following
a) Principle mineral(s)
b) Sediment grain size(s)
c) Source of the sediment?
24. Describe the coastal dunes in Northeastern Florida. Make sure to include dimensional characteristics like width and slope.
25. Compare and contrast the two different shorelines of the local barrier islands:
a) Describe the similarities between the open-ocean shorelines and the lagoonal shorelines, in terms of beach size, slope and sediment characteristics. Why the similaries between the two?
b) Describe the differences between the open-ocean shorelines and the lagoonal shorelines, in terms of beach size, slope and sediment characteristics. Why the difference between the two?
26. List and describe the agents or processes that move the beach material.
27. List and describe the agents or processes that move the dune material.
28. What is the relationship between the beaches and the coastal dunes?
29. Did you see examples of both beach and dune erosion and deposition? List and describe what you observed.
30. What are the significant causes of beach and dunes erosion here?
31. What are the natural means of stabilizing the coastal dunes? How and why does it work?
32. List the ways that humans have tried to help reduce or slow coastal erosion.
33. What are the similarities and differences between groins and rip rap revetments, in terms of:
a) What they are made of.
b) Their location/orientation to the shore.
c) Their intended purpose.
34. What are the negative effects that groins and rip rap revetments have on beaches and dunes?
ESSAY: COMPARISON OF EAST AND WEST COAST SHORELINES
Now that you have reviewed the coastal characteristics of two different locations, you will prepare a well-researched, well-written, detailed (750-1000 words) comparison of the two location. Your essay should answer the following questions:
• What two locations did you study, and what are their physical characteristics?
• What did you find similar, in terms of features and processes, that occur on both East and West coast shorelines?
• What did you find significantly different between the two? What is the cause of these differences?
• What human effects / interventions did you explore in this field trip, and what are the consequences of humans on each coastline?
• Which shoreline would you prefer to spend time at, and why?
Your essay should be informative and well organized. You should begin with an introduction, followed by several paragraphs that describe the physical characteristics, similarities and differences, and human effects of each coastline, a conclusion, and a reflection. You should include imagery and maps, and support your discussion with primary resources from this virtual field trip, or others that you find through additional research. Follow the tips and guidelines below when preparing a report on your chosen location:
• A minimum of 750 words and a maximum of 1000 words. This is 1-2 pages of double-spaced text.
• Your essay must include a title, at least 3 subheadings, at least 3 images, and a section titled "Works Cited".
• Your descriptions should be oceanographic and scientific in nature. Use terminology from the virtual field trip worksheet and from your textbook readings. Your descriptions should give a thorough overview of the location and all of your content must be scientific and geologic in nature. You may decide how best to do this, but your essay should be informative, and contain subheadings for each of your major topics. Consider using the topics explored on the previous page of this virtual field trip as your major ideas for the essay.
• Your description should include at least 3 graphics; one should be a map and all should be captioned and referenced. A caption tells your reader what the graphic shows. The reference tells where you found the graphic.
• At least 3 resources must be cited in MLA or APA format, both in-text and in a Works Cited section. Your essay should integrate at least three primary resources. Your resources must be cited in-text, and in a works cited section at the end of your essay.
• A reflection paragraph at the end of your essay, of no less than 250 words, should address the following questions:
o What did you learn from this virtual field trip that you did not know before?
o What did you find most interesting about this virtual field trip?
o Give a specific example of a time where you were able to directly apply your oceanographic knowledge during this virtual field trip.
o What other questions did this virtual field trip create in your mind? In other words, what more do you want to know about either location studied in this field trip?
Your essay should clearly flow from introduction to conclusion and should give your reader a comprehensive overview of the oceanographic characteristics of the two locations. Refer to your FT1 feedback for tips to improve your essay for FT2. Review the grading rubric for FT2 in Canvas Assignments to know how your work will be assessed.
For more resources on the writing and research process, please see page 8 of the course syllabus. If you have any questions, or need more resources for writing, please contact your instructor or the University Writing Center (see syllabus, page 10).